Apparatus for adjusting planarity of workpiece

ABSTRACT

An apparatus includes a base, a cover and a rotating shaft. The base includes a platform formed on the base for placing a workpiece, a supporting post protruding from the platform, and a pair of opposite connecting seats protruding from an end of the base. Each connecting seat defines a pin hole. The cover includes a board portion defining a positioning hole corresponding to the supporting post, a hollow rotating portion defining a through hole, and a connecting portion interconnecting the board portion and the rotating portion. The rotating shaft extends through the rotating portion with two ends received in the pin holes, rotatably interconnecting the cover to the base. The radius of the through hole is larger than that of the rotating shaft. When the board portion presses on the workpiece, the supporting post lifts the board portion.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The disclosure generally relates to apparatuses for adjusting planarityof workpieces, and particularly to an apparatus having protectionfunction for the workpieces.

2. Description of Related Art

During the manufacture of portable electronic devices such as mobilephones, many manufacture processes such hot briquetting, or laserwelding require that workpieces of the electronic devices have planarsurfaces. The workpieces with non-planar or curved surfaces may have anegative influence on these processes, and lead to unqualified portableelectronic devices. Nowadays, a clamping apparatus is commonly used toadjust the planarity of the workpieces. However, the clamping apparatusis inconvenient to be operated; the workpieces may easily be damaged bymisoperation.

Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood withreference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings arenot necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed uponclearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an apparatus for adjusting the planarityof a workpiece, according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but showing a closed state of the apparatusof FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an apparatus 100 for adjusting a planarityof a workpiece 200, according to an exemplary embodiment of thedisclosure. The workpiece 200 may be a frame of a mobile phone, a PDA orother electronic devices. The apparatus 100 includes a base 10, a cover20 and a rotating shaft 30. The cover 20 is rotatably assembled to thebase 10 through the rotating shaft 30. The workpiece 200 can be placedon the base 10. The cover 20 can be rotated toward the base 10 andpresses on the workpiece 200 to adjust the planarity.

The base 10 is substantially rectangular. A platform 12 is formed on thebase 10. The platform 12 matches with an inner surface of the workpiece200. The workpiece 200 can be placed on the platform 12 with theperiphery of the workpiece 200 attached to the platform 12.

A supporting post 14 protrudes from the platform 12. Also referring toFIG. 3, the supporting post 14 includes a body portion 142 and a headportion 144. The body portion 142 is substantially cylindrical. The headportion 144 is substantially hemispherical and extends from an end ofthe body portion 142. The body portion 142 is secured in the platform12. The head portion 144 can extend through the workpiece 200 placed onthe platform 12 and partially received in the cover 20 when the cover 20presses on the workpiece 200. Therefore, the cover 20 can be supportedby the head portion 144 to lift to a noted height as A in FIG. 3 toavoid damaging the workpiece 200 from overpressure. The height A can beadjusted according to the thickness of the workpiece 200. The headportion 144 may be elastic.

Four protruding posts 16 respectively protrude from corners of theplatform 12. Each protruding posts 16 defines a blind receiving hole162. Each receiving hole 162 receives a magnetic member 164. When thecover 20 presses on the periphery of the workpiece 200, the magneticmembers 164 attract the cover 20 toward to base 10. Thus, an enhancedpressure can be applied to the workpiece 200 to achieve a betterplanarity adjusting effect.

A pair of opposite connecting seats 18 protrudes from an end of the base10 beside the platform 12. Each connecting seat 18 defines a pin hole182 to install the rotating shaft 30.

Also referring to FIG. 2, the cover 20 includes a board portion 22, arotating portion 24 and a connecting portion 26 interconnecting theboard portion 22 and the rotating portion 24. The board portion 22 ismetal. The board portion 22 corresponds to the platform 10 and matcheswith an outer surface of the workpiece 200. A position hole 221 isdefined in the board portion 22 corresponding to the supporting post 14.When the cover 20 presses on the workpiece 200, the head portion 144 ispartially received in the position hole 22 to support the cover 20. Inaddition, the cover 20 is also secured by the head portion 144 andcannot be moved along a horizontal direction. Thus, the periphery of theworkpiece 200 can be accurately pressed by the cover 20.

The rotating portion 24 is substantially a hollow cylinder. Alsoreferring to FIG. 4, a through hole 242 is defined in the rotatingportion 24 along a direction parallel to the board portion 22. A lengthof the rotating portion 24 is substantially the same as a distancebetween the two connecting seats 18. The rotating portion 24 is setbetween the connecting seats 18 with the through hole 242 aligned withthe two pin holes 182.

The rotating shaft 30 extends through the through hole 242 with two endsreceived in the pin holes 182. A radius of the through hole 242 islarger than that of the rotating shaft 30. A difference B between theradii of the through hole 242 and the rotating shaft 30 is substantiallyequal to the height A of the cover 20 lifted by the supporting post 14.Thus, the cover 20 can have a shift relative to the base 10 along avertical direction to adapt to the lifted height A. In this embodiment,the difference B between the radii of the through hole and the rotatingshaft 30 is about 0.1-0.4 mm.

To adjust planarity of the workpiece 200, the workpiece 200 is placed onthe platform 12. The cover 20 is rotated toward the platform 12 untilthe board portion 22 presses on the workpiece 200. The cover 20 can becontrolled by a driving apparatus such as a cylinder (not shown). Thehead portion 144 is partially received in the position hole 222 andlifts the board portion 22 by the height A. Accordingly, the rotatingportion 26 has a shift relative to the base 10 along a verticaldirection in the through hole 242. Thus, the workpiece 200 is sandwichedbetween the board portion 22 and the platform 12, and the planarity canbe adjusted by a proper pressure through the board portion 22. Inaddition, the magnetic members 164 also attract the board portion 22toward the base 10 to enhance the pressure.

Therefore, the apparatus 100 can adjust the planarity of workpiece 200by the proper pressure and avoid damage to the workpiece 200.

It is believed that the exemplary embodiments and their advantages willbe understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparentthat various changes may be made thereto without departing from thespirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferredor exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for adjusting the planarity of aworkpiece, the apparatus comprising: a base, comprising a platformformed on the base configured for placing the workpiece; a supportingpost protruding from the platform; and a pair of opposite connectingseats protruding from an end of the base, each connecting seat defininga pin hole; a cover, comprising: a board portion defining a positioninghole corresponding to the supporting post; a hollow rotating portiondefining a through hole; and a connecting portion interconnecting theboard portion and the rotating portion; and a rotating shaft extendingthrough the rotating portion with two ends received in the pin holes,rotatably interconnecting the cover to the base; wherein the radius ofthe through hole is larger than the radius of the rotating shaft, whenthe board portion presses on the workpiece, the supporting post liftsthe board portion.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the positionpost includes a head portion and a body portion, the body portion issecured in the platform, when the board portion presses on the base, thehead portion is partially received in the position hole and lifts theboard portion.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the lifted height issubstantially equal to the difference between the radii of the throughhole and the rotating shaft.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein thehead portion is cylindrical, the body portion is hemispherical.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 3, wherein the difference between the radii of thethrough hole and the rotating shaft is substantially 0.1-0.4 mm.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the base further comprises a plurality ofmagnetic members set on the base besides the platform.
 7. The apparatusof claim 4, wherein the base further comprises a plurality of protrudingposts, each protruding post defines a receiving hole, the magneticmembers are received in the receiving holes.
 8. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the platform matches with an inner surface of the workpieceand the board portion matches with an outer surface of the workpiece. 9.An apparatus for adjusting planarity of workpiece, the apparatuscomprising: a base, comprising a platform formed on the base configuredfor placing the workpiece; a supporting post protruding from theplatform; and a pair of opposite connecting seats protruding from an endof the base, each connecting seat defining a pin hole; a cover,comprising: a board portion defining a positioning hole corresponding tothe supporting post; a hollow rotating portion; and a connecting portioninterconnecting the board portion and the rotating portion; and arotating shaft extending through the rotating portion with two endsreceived in the pin holes, rotatably interconnecting the cover to thebase; wherein when the board portion presses on the workpiece, thesupporting post lifts the board portion and the rotating shaft has ashift relative to the base along a vertical direction.
 10. The apparatusof claim 9, wherein the position post includes a head portion and a bodyportion, the body portion is secured in the platform, when the boardportion presses on the base, the head portion is partially received inthe position hole and lifts the board portion.
 11. The apparatus ofclaim 10, wherein the lifted height is substantially equal to the shiftof the rotating shaft.
 12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein thedifference between the radii of the through hole and the rotating shaftis substantially 0.1-0.4 mm.